Full Membership

Full Membership in PEN Center USA is open to professional writers, journalists, editors and translators who have accomplished a body of work and who meet the membership criteria in one or more categories.

The benefits you receive as a full member of PEN USA are tailored to your needs as a professional writer.  While the rewards of PEN membership start with the knowledge that you are helping to free imprisoned writers around the world and to defend the First Amendment, your writing career also directly benefits from your PEN membership.

Benefits of FULL PEN USA MEMBERSHIP include:

- the right to vote in PEN USA elections and hold an office in the national organization.

- A listing in, and copy of the PEN USA Membership Directory. Your PEN USA Membership Directory includes your listing and contact information for more than 1000 professional writers, including authors, screenwriters, playwrights, poets, translators, editors, and journalists throughout the United States. There is also an online directory, available for search by PEN members. Update your listing by contacting

- an online subscription to ELECTRIC PEN, the bi-monthly newsletter of PEN USA and calendar of readings, signings and productions of work by PEN members.  Any PEN member may post a listing in Electric PEN.  Only one listing for each event is allowed.  All PEN members and donors receive Electric PEN unless they “unsubscribe.” To post a notice, write

- pre-approved access to CIGNA MEDICAL INSURANCE at low group rates if you live in California, Chicago, Greater Atlanta, Southern Florida, Downstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. If you do not live in these areas, we apologize; we are actively seeking a carrier who will allow us to extend this coverage to all our members.  For more information, write to

- invitations to PEN EVENTS. Network with writers and participate in a wide range of literary events hosted by PEN USA and its regional chapters.  These range from Writer’s Toolbox panels, connecting you with agents, editors, and publicists who can help accelerate your career, to Writers’ Cafes focusing on issues related to the Freedom to Write here and around the world.

- participation in PEN’s FREEDOM TO WRITE NETWORK. Join our Freedom to Write Committee and help to free imprisoned writers throughout the world.  You will receive monthly alerts about writers who have been arrested or threatened because of their work. Your letters can save a life. To join, contact

- PEN USA MEMBER DISCOUNTS at UCLA EXTENSION WRITERS’ PROGRAM. PEN members receive a 10% discount on registration for all courses including online courses. For more info visit
the Writer’s Program website

-PEN USA MEMBER DISCOUNT at READERVILLE.COM Enjoy a discount on set-up and maintenance fees at Readeville.com’s Author Gallery. The Author Gallery is a collection of author pages that lists biographical and bibliographical information about its members. The website maintains an active discussion forum and allows authors to automatically update their sites to add new publications or promotional announcements. Readerville has an audience of 14,000 registered members and it gains more each month. Contact for more information.